IPSec

lastmod 2025-07-17created 2023-08-122 edits

IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) is an Internet protocol suite for secure Internet Protocol (IP) communication that encrypts and authenticates each IP packet of a communication session. This security is handled by authenticating and encrypting the individual IP packets of a communication session. IPsec includes protocols for establishing mutual authentication between agents at the beginning of a session and for negotiating the cryptographic keys to be used during the session. IPsec is used to protect data flows between a pair of hosts (host to host), between security gateways (network to network), and between a security gateway and a host (network to host). Internet Protocol security (IPsec) uses cryptographic security services to protect communications over Internet Protocol networks.

Security architecture

The IPsec suite is an open standard. IPsec uses the following protocols to perform various functions:

• Authentication Header (AH)
• Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP)
• Security Association (SA)

Modes of operation

• Transport mode
• Tunnel mode

Cryptographic algorithms

• HMAC-SHA-1
• HMAC-SHA-2
• Triple DES-CBC
• AES-CBC
• AES-GCM

For more details, see RFC 4835.

See also

• IP
• Security
• VPN
• L2TP

Favorite site

• IPsec - Wikipedia
• [Recommended] REAKWON :: (Network/Security) IPSec concepts, principles, and features 1 ¹

References